Railway-switch mechanism.



J. D. ISAACS & C. R. HARDING.

RAILWAY SWITCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2a. 1918.

Patented July 30, 1918.

INVETORS WITNESSES A TI'ORNEYS TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. ISAACS, OF NEW YORK, AND CARROLL R. HARDING, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

RAILWAY-SWITCH MECHANISM.

Application filed March 28, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN D. Isl-mos, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, and CARROLL R. HARDING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Railway-Switch Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to railway switch construction and has particular reference to safety appliances or devices cooperating with the movable switch points to prevent the numerous and disastrous accidents that are occasioned by the distortion or springing from normal position of that switch point which lies normally against the stock rail on the turnout side of the switch.

More definitely stated, whereas the head red, as the brace or heavy bar is called which connects the two switch points to each other and constitutes an anchorage means for the switch throwing devices, is in more or less open danger of being engaged by brake chains or other devices trailing or depending from cars or locomotives passing over the road, with the result that the head rod is bent intermediate of the rails so causing the switch points to which the head rod is anchored to be drawn toward each other, it follows that wherever possible it is recommended that the switch stand be located on the turnout side of the track, thus providing a practically rigid anchorage between the switch stand and the switch point on the turnout side serving to hold this point'in place and permitting all distortion due to the bending of the head rod to be manifested on the main line side only. It is impossible, however, in some cases especially in crossovers to thus locate the switch stand on the turnout side, therefore, the primary object of our invention is to provide a means for connecting the head rod to the switch throwing mechanism that shall serve the same purpose with respect to the safety of the rolling stock when the switch stand is on the main line side of the track, as though the switch stand were placed on the turnout side.

A further object of the invention is to provide switch throwing connections for the switch that shall embody the foregoing ele- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1918.

Serial No. 225,284.

ments of safety without necessitating any material change in the main standard equipment and whereby our improvement may be adopted and installed where needed for a slight additional expense, but which expense is negligible in comparison with the safety to life and property afforded by such adoption.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the movable switch points and parts associated therewith, the switch stand being shown in diagram on the main line side thereof, straight and curved arrows being employed to indiaite the main line and switch courses respectively; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings we show the rail 10 constituting the fixed straight rail on the main line side while opposite it is the curved stock rail 11 on the turnout side. Between these two rails are located the usual movable switch points 12 and 13 between and to which is secured the head rod 14 as by means of clips or brackets 15 of any suitable construction. Under normal conditions, with the switch closed the switch point 13 lies against the inner face of the rail 11 and parallel to the ail 10, while the other point 12 is held spaced from the rail 10 by virtue of the head rod and switch throwing devices. Ordinarily the head rod projects under and beyond both sets of rails as indicated at 16 and 16 for the connection thereto of the switch throwing devices at either end.

As above premised where it is possible for the switch stand 17 to be located on the turnout side and with the connections between the stand and the head rod having dependable strength to resist the strain incident to the engagement with the head rod of some device dependin from the train and the buckling thereof, tie switch point 13 will not be separated from the rail 11 and the only practical result of such cirthe head rod be made 011 the main line side and with the end 16 of such rod there will ordinarily be nothing on the turnout side of the track capable of resisting the tendency of the buckling action to separate the point 13 from the stock rail 11. Thus if a train be moving along the main line and usually at high speed under such conditions any succeeding cars would either be switched to the siding or would be in danger of being derailed, either of which conditions is almost sure to be disastrous.

In carrying out our improvement in a practical manner we make use of the following instrumentalities, or their equivalent. The turnout end 16 of the head rod is connected by means of a link 18 to one end of the lever 19 pivoted on a vertical pivot 20 secured in a fixed plate 21 locatedin any suitable manner as upon the ends of the ties on the turnout side'of the switch. To the other end of the lever 19 is pivoted any suitable strong pipe or rod 22 leading beneath the rails and having a connecting rod 23 leading to the switch stand. Any of these connecting parts may be anti-frictionally supported on rollers such as indicated at 24 if desired. It will now be seen that through the action of the'connecting rods 22 and 23 and lever 19 and link 18 the switch stand while in normal position or condition will be just as effective -to positively lock the switch point 13 in safe position as though the switch stand were located on the turnout side of the switch. The operation Copies of this patent may be obtained for of the switch stand or switch throwing mechanism with this improvement will be just the same as when the switch stand is directly connected to the near end of'the head rod.

If, while the switch is in a normal or closed position, any device depending from the train should engage and buckle rod 22 serving to connect the mechanism between the switch stand and head rod, the only efl'eet of such buckling would be to further tighten the contact betweenthe switch point 13 and the adjacent stock rail 11.

7e claim:

1. The combination with the movable switch points of a railway switch and a rigid head rod connected directly to both of them, of a switch stand located on the main line side of the switch, and connections between the switch stand and said head rod serving to prevent; the buckling of the head rod from separating the normally closed switch point from its rail.

2. The combination with the movable switch points of a railway switch and a head rod connected directly to both of them, of aswitch stand located on the main line side of the switch, and connections between the switch stand and the end of the head rod on the turnout side of the switch serving to positively hold theswitch point 011 the turnout side against the stock rail whilethe switch stand is'set for a closed switch, said connections including a lever pivoted on the turnout side, means -connecting one end of the lever to the adjacent end-of the head rod, and a switch rodconnected to the other end of the lever.

JOHN D. ISA-AGS. CARROLL R. HARDING.

five. cents each, by addressing the ,Commi ssioner .otrka tente, Washington, 20.6. 

